Fix-It Tips: July

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Fix-It Tip
It’s a good idea to check tension on the drive chain or belt once a year to make sure it isn’t so loose that it damages gears and sprockets. If you’re uncomfortable with this job, remove the unit and take it to a professional to save the price of a house call. From Trash Compactor Repair.

Fix-It Tip
Because the starter sends high voltage to fluorescent tubes when starting up, tubes wear out faster if they are turned on and off excessively. From Fluorescent Lighting Repair.

Fix-It Tip
A ballast is the most expensive component in a fluorescent lighting fixture. If it requires replacement, check the price of a new fixture; it may be less expensive. Because the ballast is a wire transformer you may be able to recycle it as metal. From Fluorescent Lighting Repair.

Fix-It Tip
Wood siding’s worst enemies are moisture and wood-boring pests. You can minimize damage by making sure that Gutters are keeping water from the surface, and that nearby plants aren’t giving moisture and bugs a clear path to the siding. A once-a-year walk-around inspection of wood siding is a good idea. From Exterior Siding Repair.

Fix-It Tip
The techniques for repairing upholstered furniture can easily be applied to repairing upholstery in a car, truck, boat, trailer, or anywhere else it is used. And the mattress you sleep on is actually upholstered furniture. From Upholstered Furniture Repair.

Fix-It Tip
The first thing to check with a problem fax machine is the incoming telephone line and connections. If in doubt about the incoming line, plug a standard telephone into the phone plug on the wall and listen for a dial tone. From Fax Machine Repair.

Fix-It Tip
You probably can’t repair a finger ring yourself, but you can clean it using jewelry cleaning products available at larger household and discount stores. Most jewelers will clean and inspect rings and other jewelry for free, especially if you purchased the ring there. They want to earn your future business. From Jewelry Repair.

Fix-It Tip
If the disposer won’t start after unjamming, wait at least 10 minutes for the motor to cool fully, then press the reset button, if there is one, on the underside of the unit and try again. From Garbage Disposer Repair.

Caution!
Never use chemical drain openers on a garbage disposer. The chemicals can damage plastic and rubber internal parts that protect the motor from moisture. From Garbage Disposer Repair.

Fix-It Tip
Use a pencil eraser to clean the contacts on a cordless telephone’s base, then use compressed air or contact cleaner to remove any residue and debris left by the eraser. From Cordless Telephone Repair.

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